Lap forming blowing machine



L'. P. MILLER LAP FORMING BLOWING MACHINE Apal 21, 1942.

5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June l2, 1940 -April 21, 1942. L. P. MILLER L AP FORMING BLOWING MACHINE Filed June l2, 1940 5 Sheets-.Sheet Aprilzll, 1942. v L P, MlLLER i 2,280,250

LAP FORMING `BIJOWING MACHINE INVENTOR BYzzR/)/Zer f im ATTORNEYS fApril 21, 1942.

L. P. MILLER LAP FORMING BLOWING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1940 5 sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Amb ATTORNEYS .April 21, 1942.4 L. P. MILLER l LAP FORMING BLOWING MACHINE Filed June l2, l9`40 5 Shets-Sheefl 5 Patented Apr. 2l, 1942 LAP FORMING BLOWING MACHINE Louis P. Miller, Walden, N. Y.. assignor to Miller- Jonas Holding Co., Inc., Walden, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June l2, 1940, Serial No. 340,048 t (C1. 1li- 155i 14 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to textiles and more especially to lap forming machinery.

The present invention is designed more especially to treat fur or other textile fiber which may be easily dispersed in air and comprises a mechanism similar to machines known in the art as blowers with the further function of being capable-of forming a relatively even lap of substantially even density from the textile bers.

Blowing machines heretofore operating by dispersing fur or other textile fibers in air have comprised constructions wherein the fur is substantially uncontrolled during a part of its pas-` sage through the machine. This conditiontends to result in the formation of small bunches of fur which is relatively unimportant in the use of `the ordinary blowingV machine for the reason that such machines are concerned primarily with the cleaning and separation of materials Without particular attention to the uniformity of the thickness of the mass leaving the machine, but uniformity is an important factor in a lap as produced by the present invention.

The present mechanism is concerned primarily with producing a lap of substantially uniform density, which lap may be utilized as such in the textile art. as for example, the production of sheet or roll felt or for feeding a sliver producing mechanismror other textile uses where uniformity of mass is of importance.

The present machine is so designed by the construction and arrangement of parts that the textile ber is positively controlled in its passage through the machine to obviate the danger of forming bunches or batches of fur which tend to produce irregularities in thickness of the product as it leaves the machine. A further feature of the present machine is a construction in which eddy or turbulent air currents are avoided in the zone where the air is carrying the textile bers, as for example, a construction whereby a picker cylinder is so arranged relative to a collector screen that there are no undesirable eddy currents between the picker cylinder and the screen.

While the present machine is primarily concerned with producing a lap, the machine may be so adjusted as to also function as a blower which cleans and separates the material being fed into the machine so that the coarse, heavy material remains inthe machine while the fine lighter product is formed into a lap that is fed from the machine.

Other novel features of the machine will in 5|,

part be obvious and will in part be pointed out hereinafter inthe specification following wherein like parts are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings, It is also to be understood that the Adisclosure herewith is largely diagrammatic and that omitted features are those which are well known to persons skilled in the art and are omitted herefrom for the purpose of clarity as to the present invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically the present invention as associated with other devices which may be utilized in the production of laps or batts of textile bers. v

Fig. 2 is a slight modification of the present invention wherein different stages or units of the construction arehoused in separate compartments with which suitable air controlling mechanism is provided.

Fig. 3 illustrates a construction similar to that shown in Fig. 1 with the exception that the conveyor belts extend beneath the feed rolls and the picker cylinders to operate more especially as a lap forming mechanism.

Fig. 4 shows a modification of the construction shown in Fig. l and wherein the baille plates are shown as adjustable in width.

Fig. 5 is a detail view, with parts in section, of the preferred baille plate construction.

Fig. 6 illustrates in section a suction conduit mounted within a collector screen.

Fi. 7 is a longitudinal section on line 'l-T of Fig. n

Fig. 8 illustrates diagrammatically a construction wherebythe collector screen shown in Figs. 6 and 7 may be raised and lowered relatively to the conveyor belt.`

Referring now to the drawings and more especia lly to Fig. 1, the textile fibers, which may comprise rabbit fur, are placed in the weighing feeder A. which may be a machine known in the art as Bramwell type feeder, -and the material,

from this machine A is fed into the blower lap former B, andfrom the lap former the product maybe lead to such machines in the art as are used in the further treatment iof laps or batts.

The textile fibers from the Weighing feeder A are dropped upon a conveyor belt I which transports the fibers to a pair of" feed rolls 2 and 4 that are adjacent a rapidly revolving picker cylinder 5. In practice. the feed rolls 2 and 4 are of relativelysmall diameter,` as for example. approximately one inch and may rotate af a `peripheral speed of substantially seventvfhve according to the wishes of the operator. 'Ihe picker cylinder preferably is about four and onehalf inches in diameter and rotates at speeds between from two to six thousand revolutions per minute. The feed rolls 2 and I are preferably spring pressed together in order 'to feed the fur to the rapidly revolving picker cylinder 5.

The picker cylinder 5` is very closely set to the feed rolls so that there is a picking or pulling action on the ber as it is removed from the rolls by the high speed picker. This high speed of the picker produces a substantial air current and this air current in accordance with the present invention Ais controlled in such manner that the fiber is positively carried by air current and deposited on a screen beforethe direct force of the air current is dissipated and before the air is permitted to form undesirable eddies. To this l end, a baille plate 9 ispreferably curved to fit closely over the upper part of the picker cylinder and to closely approach the upper feed roll 2. The terminal edge of the bale .plate 6 comprises an upward extension 'l which closely approaches a revolving screen drum 9. This screen drum may be made from screen material, or of perforated metal, so as to provide a supporting surface for the textile fibers and at the same time provide suitable openings or perforations through which the current of air from the picker cylinder may pass. This screen cylinder preferably is approximately twenty-one inches in diameter and rotates with a peripheral speed substantially the same as the peripheral speed of the feed rolls 2 and 4. A conveyor belt 9 is located beneath the screen drum 8 with the upper run of the conveyor belt being separated slightly from 4the lowermost portion of the screen drum so that when the machine is operating, the space between the upper run of the conveyor belt 9 and the screen drum will be lled with textile ber which drops by gravity from the screen drum as the drum rotates. The longitudinal speed of the upper run of the conveyor belt is substantially the same as the peripheral speed of the screen drum. An adjustable baille board Ill is provided adjacent the4 forward end of the conveyor belt 9 and is adapted to swing upon an axis substantially coincident of the upper edge of the baille board. This baille board is connected with a suitable handle'outside thev housing il so that the board may be swung in the arc I2 and positioned stationarily at any point within this arc according to the wishes of the operator. `Preferably, the board normally occupies substantially the full line positions as shown in Fig. l. When this occurs, the air current produced by the picker cylinder is substantially as indicated by the arrows I 4 in Fig. 1. The space between the picker cylinder 5, 'the upper portion of the baille board I0, the screen drum 8 and the .conveyor belt 9, is somewhat triangular in cross-section with a portion of the periphery of the screen drum forming the base of the triangle. Since the screen drum is revolving counter-clockwise (as shown in Fig.

l), the textile fiber builds up thickest adjacent the lower portion of the drum and is thinnest adjacent the .extension 'I on the baiile plate 6. Therefore, this thinnest portion provides the least resistance to the passage of the air from the pickercylinder and consequently the maply only to the last stage.

that the textile fibers are positively carried against the screen drum by the air currents and consequently the opportunity for the bers to collect' together and bunch in air is absent, the result being that the fibers are deposited substantially uniformly on the screen drum 9. The conveyor belt 9 leads to a second pair of feed rolls of a second stage in the machine. The second stage is a duplicate of the first stage and so on throughout the various stages of the machine. It, therefore, becomes unnecessary to specifically describe the additional stages of the apparatus, with the exceptionv of certain features which ap- It is to be understood that the machine may comprise one or more duplicate stages. The purpose of the series of stages is to secure more uniformity to the final lap which leaves the machine and where the machine is used as a blower lfor cleaning, each separate stage performs an additional cleaning operation-hence the number of consecutive tion away from the picker cylinder 5, the throat,

through which the air current produced by the picker passes, is enlarged and the velocity of the air between"th e baille board and the picker is reduced. The function of this swinging of the baille board is that where the baille 4board is substantially ineffective as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, heavy material will fall away from the upward air current produced by the picker cylinder and dust and dirt will also be thrown out, whereas when the baille board is set close to the picker cylinder in the position shown in full lines in Fig. l, substantially all material taken from the feed rolls 2 and I by the picker cylinder 5 is carried upwardly and deposited on the screen drum 8. The machine, therefore, may have the function of the apparatus known Y in the art as a blower as well as a lap forming mechanism or the device may be used as a lap former which would retain in the nal product' substantially all of the material fed by the feeder;

The last stage of the machine comprises a screen drum I5, which may be the same as the preceding screen drums 8, with the exception that the axis I6 of this drum may be raised or lowered to change the space between the drum and the outlet conveyor belt I1 which removes the batt or lap from the machine.

The screen drums, the conveyor belts, and the feed rolls for each unit are preferably driven through variable speed units i8 whereby each unit is under complete control of the operator.

These units are operated at a relatively low speed from a common drive shaft lil-a. The picker cylinders operate at a high speed andare preferably driven through variable speed units Iii-b that are driven from a common high speed drive shaft Iii-c. The variable speed drives i9 and I8-b, make the entire machine very flexible and enable the operator to control operating conditions throughout the several stages of the machine. This permits either slowing 'down or speeding up the travel of the brous material relative to the amount fed into the machine and in this way, the lap coming from the machine may be relatively thick or thin as the. operator desires. y,

The outlet from the machine through which the conveyor belt I1 extends may be substantially closed by a roller I9 above the conveyor belt I1 and another roller 26 within the conveyor beltv I1. A closurev plate 2I is mounted on the housing II to bearV upon the roller I9 to close the gap between this roller and the housing and thereby conflnethe air within the housing. The roller I9 is adjustable vertically so that the roller just touches the top surface of the lap being conveyed from the machine by the belt I1. Preferably, the roller I 9 is also connected with the variable speed mechanismv I6 so that the peripheral speed thereof is the same as the peripheral 'speed of the conveyor belt I1.

Inthe present machine, as has been pointed out, it is particularly desirable thatthere shall be no undesirable eddy currents of air between the picker cylinder and they collector screens '6 and I5. The high speed of the picker cylinders establishes a blast of air and in order for the screens to function properly, it is helpful to provide an air duct 22 leading` from the upper part ofthe housing II to thelower part of the housing. In order that the amount of circulation of air may be controlled, a damper 24 may be provided in the air duct: 22. y

Referring now to Fig. 2, the stages of mechanism in the lap blower is exactlythe-same as those shown in Fig. 1, and, therefore, the same numbers are applied to like parts, but the description need not be repeated.

The construction disclosed in Fig. 2 differs from that shown inFlg. 1 inthat each stage or unitof the machine is'zmounted `in a separate compartment which is established by partitions f 25 extending across the housing II above the feed rolls 2 and partitions 26 extending across the housing below the feed rolls 4. Closure plates 21 and 26 are mounted on the partitions 25 and 26 respectivelyy in order to close the air space adjacent` the feed rollers so that each compartmentis substantially a `separate unit (see Fig.` 4). y

Another feature wherein the machine `illustrated in Fig. 2 differs from that Aillustrated in Fig. 1 is the provision of forced air draft under control of the operator. This is accomplished by means of a power driven air fan 29 which may be of any well known type suitable for the purpose. Preferably. the suction side of the air fan 29 is connected with a duct 36 that leads to theupper portion of the housing II and the `outlet side of the fan connects with a duct 3l leading to "the lower portion' of the `housing II. The intake duct 36 is provided ywith outlets 32 andA 34 which may lead to open air and which are provided with dampers 35 and 36. An intermediate damper 31 is provided between the 35 and 36. The outlet or pressure duct 3l is also provided with two ducts 36 and 39 which open to air, each equipped with dampers 46 and 4I and with an intermediate damper 42 between the ducts 36 and 39. The terminal ends of the ducts 36 and 3| alsolead to open air` and-may be provided with'dampers and 45. It is to be understood thatwhere desirable any or allv of these open air ducts may be led to dust collectors or tofilters or any other devices that may be desirable for supplying fresh air or disposing of dusty air relative to the machine. The suction duct 36 is connected by passageways 46 with each unit or stage of the machine and dampers 41 are provided in each of the passageways 46. Main dampers 46 are provided in the. exhaust duct 36 between each stage of the machine. Similarly the pressure duct 3| is provided with.outlets 49 into each stage of the machine and each of these outlets is provided with a controldamper `56 whereas the main dampers 5I are provided in the pressure duct 3l. between the outlets l49. to the several stages of the machine.

A damper 62 is provided in the cross duct 54 which connects the exhaust 36 with the pressure duct 3,I. y

Where pressure or suction is used inside the housing relative to the atmosphere surrounding the machine, it is desirable to maintain this condition without disturbance from theoutside air flowing into or out of the housing and to this end a closure plate extends from vthe front wall-of the housing to substantially in contact with the feed roll 4.

From the foregoing, itwill be observed that by manipulating the various dampers in the several ducts provided, various conditions of pressure or reduced pressure may be obtained. For example, by openingL the damper 4I, closing the damper 42, both'in the pressure duct and vby closing dampers 35 and 36, and opening damper 31 in the suction duct'and4 closing dampers 45 and 52,.while leaving thedampers 41 and 46, 46, and 5I open, each stage of the apparatus will be subjected to suction whereby air is withdrawn from the upper portion of each compartment or unit and is admitted through the ducts`49 into the lower portion of each stage. This has a tendency of increasing the air currents from the picker cylinders to and through the collector screens. The various dampers may be manipulated to control the air currents in each unit of thel machine as th'eoperator may desire s'o that a very ilexiblenadjustment as to air conditions in the machine may be obtained.

It will also be observed `that. by the manipulation of the various dampers illustrated in Fig. 2, the forward units of the machine may be operated under natural 'draft such as is produced by the rotation of the picker cylinders alone while the last unit,\for example, may be operated under pressures, either negative or positive, produced by the blowei` fan 29.

Fig. 4 illustrates a single` stage, for example,`

lcontrolled by.a damper 51. 4It is to be understood that similar ducts extend from the sides 'of the tops of the housing to the sides of the lower portions thereof for each unitof a multiple unit machine such as is illustrated in Fig. 2. In Fig. 4, the baille board 56 which corresponds to the baille board I6 illustrated in the other fig;

ures of the drawings; is preferably constructed in telescoping sections 56 and 59 and may be formed of sheet metal or other suitable material. These sections 56 and 59 are slidable one over the other and the section 59 may slide in channels 66 carried by the section 56. Suitable clamp screws 5I are mounted on the channels 66 so that the section 59 may be clamped in any desired telescoping relation to the plate 56. The pur/pose of this construction is to enable the baille board 56 to be narrowed or widened in any position beneath the picker cylinder 5. When the baille board 56 is narrowed and brought into a close proximity to the picker cylinder, heavy material of the fibrous mass will tendffco drop from the picker cylinder and will'pass beneath the edge of the narrowed baille board 5l and thereby drop to the bottom of the unit. In this way the device'becomes a blower or separator and at the'same time the avoiding of undesirable eddy air currentsvbetween the picker rolls and the collector screens is still maintained.

It is to be understood that the adjustable width bane board 58 may 'be used in the place of the baille boards Il Vas illustrated ln other figures of the drawings.

It may be desired to use this machine to build up a substantially thicker lap than can be obtained by natural draft produced by the picker cylinders.

$4 and 65 on a stationary supporting rod 66 that is suitably supported in the machine frame. 'I'he bearing Il may be provided with a suitable drive wheel 61 through which the screen cylinder 62 may berrotated. A suction conduit 68 may be mounted on the stationary rod 66 by collars 69 and Il through which extend clamp stub bolts 'Il and I2 so that the mouth il of the' conduit il maybe correctly adjusted relatively to the baille 6, over the picker cylinder 5, and the conveyor belt l. 6l is a cylindrical member I6 which extends over a short pipe section I'I that is mounted to revolve with the screen 62. This pipe section may have a flange Il that extends into a two piece hood l19 that in turn is telescopable in a suction pipe Bli which leads to a suitable source of suction, not

shown. This suction conduit B8 within the revolving cylindrical screen B2 produces an air ow through the portion of the screen subtending the open mouth Il ofthe conduit 68 that is greatly in excess of the air. flow produced by the picker cylinder l, and thus a very substantial amount form of mechanism by which this may be accomplished. The stationary supporting rod 66 may .be mounted in suitably guided hangers 8l and 82 which are supported by screw shafts 84 and I5. These screw shafts carry bevel gears 86 and 8l that mesh with operatingI bevel gears 88 and 8l on the shaft Sl which may be operated by the hand wheel ll. When the ha'nd wheel 9| is rotated the connected parts raise or lower the screen l! relatively to the conveyor belt 9, dependent upon the direction that the hand wheel srotated.

It is to be understood that the construction illustrated in Figs. 6, '7, and 8 may be applied to any or all the several stages of the machine if so desired.

'I'he foregoing specification describes a mechanism which is very flexible as to its adjustments for producing a continuous lap or batt of substantially uniform thickness and. density. The

The outlet end 'l5 of the conduit.

machine is particularly adapted for handling textile material such as rabbit fur or similar types of material.

Various drives for the several driven parts are omitted in order to facilitate clarity and because proper drives for the several parts will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The method of forming a lap, as disclosed herein, is now claimed in my divisional application for Patent Ser. No. 398,534, filed June 18, 1941.

What I claim is: ,f

1. In a lap forming blowing machine. the combination of a housing, a pair of feed rolls, a picker roll located adjacent'said feed rolls andl adapted to .be rotated at a high speed to produce an air current which positively carries the fibers picked by the picker roll, a cylindrical screen member mounted adjacent said picker roll and adapted to receive and collect the fibers carried by said air current, a bale located closely adjacent the upper portion of said picker roll and extending between one of said feed rolls and said cylindrical screen to direct said air current through said cylindrical screen, a movable baille board beneath said picker roll, and a conveyor belt beneath said cylindrical screen and in close proximity thereto. Y

2. In a lap forming blowing machine, the combination of a housing, a pair of feed rolls located' one above the other to form a feed passage, a high speed picker roll located adjacent the feed passage between said feed rolls and being adaptedto engage and pick material fed between said feed rolls and to produce an air current which positively carries the fibers picked by the picker roll, a cylindrical screen member mountedy adjacent said picker roll and adapted to receive and collect the fibers carried by the air current, a curved baille located closely adjacent the upper portion of said picker roll and extending between the upper one of said feed rolls and said cylindrical screen to direct said air current through said screen, an adjustable lswinging baille board beneath said picker roll, and a conveyor belt beneath said cylindrical screenA and in close proximity thereto to receive material dropped from said screen. .e

3. In a lap formingr blowing machine, a housing; a plurality of operating units within said housing; each of vsaid operating units comprising a pair of feed rolls, a, rapidly revolving picker Y roll adjacent said feed rolls to pick material fed through the feed rolls and to produce a strong air current, a cylindrical rotating screen drum located adjacent said picker roll in the direct path of said air current to collect the material picked by the picker roll, a baille plate above said picker roll and closely adjacent thereto and cxtending from the upper feed roll to said screen drum to direct the air current through the screen drum, a swinging baille board beneath said picker roll, and a conveyor belt located beneath said screen drum and. having theiupper run thereof closely adjacent said screen drum..

4. In a lap forming blowing machine, a housing: a plurality of operating units within said housing; each of said operating units comprising a pair of feed rolls, a rapidly revolving picker roll adjacent said feed rolls to pick material fed through the feed rolls and to produce a strong air current, a cylindrical rotating screen drum located adjacent to and above said picker roll in the direct path of said air current to collect the material picked by the picker roll, a curved baffromthe upper feed roll to said screen drum to directthe air'current through 'the screen drum. an adjustable baille ,board beneath said picker roll, and a conveyor belt locatedbeneath said screen drum and having the upper `run thereof closely adjacent said screendrum 'and travelling at `substantially the same linear speed as theperipheral speed as said screen 5. A lap formingblowing machine comprising a pair of feed rolls mounted substantiallyone over thelother, a picker roll adjacent said feed rolls and closely mounted relative thereto to engage material ,fed through said feed rolls, the portion' ofthe pickerroll adjacent the feed rolls having a downward rotative movement, a cylindrical screen drum mounted adjacent said picker roll and slightly above the same.,a. bale extending from adjacentl the upper -feed roll to said cylindrical screen with a portion of said baille being curved in close proximity to the upper part of said picker roll, a conveyorbelt beneath said screen drum and in close proximity thereto to receive materialwhich hasbeen collected by said screen and dropped therefrom, and a swinging baille board pivotedadjacent the forward end of said conveyor belt, the construction and arrange- -ment of parts being such that the air current produced by the picker roll is definitely guided x to pass through the portion of the cylindrical r'oll adjacent the feed rolls having a downward rotative movement, a cylindrical screen drum mounted adjacent said picker roll andslightly above the same, the portion of the said drum ad- ,sso,

fie plate around the upper portionpf said picker `roll and closely adjacentlthereto and extending aso 5 `8. In a lap forming blowing machine the combination of a housing, a pair of feed rolls arranged one over the other, means to feed a predetermined amount of textile material to the feed rolls, a pickerroll adjacent the feed rolls, a cylindrical screen drum locatedto the rear4 of and `above said picker roll, an upper baille over the upper part of the picker roll 4and extending substantially from the upper feed roll to the cylindrical screen drum, drive means to cause the portion of' the picker roll adjacent the feed rolls to have a downward rotative movement and the portion of the screen drum adjacent the picker roll to have a. downward rotative movement, a conveyor belt located closely adjacent the under portion of said screen drum, and a swinging bafj ile board adjacent the forward end-of the conveyor belt and adapted to control the air currents fromthe picker roll to direct the same through the screen drum.

9. In a lap formingblowingmachine comprising a` plurality of units; each consisting of a pair of feed rolls, one arranged above the other, a picker roll adjacent said feed rolls, a cylindrical screen drum adjacent the picker roll, an upper baille over the upper part of the picker roll and extending substantially from the upper feed roll adjustable baille board beneath said picker roll,

jacent the picker 'roll havinga. downward movement, a baiile extending from adjacent the upper feed roll to said cylindrical screen with a por-` tion of said, baille heilig curvedvin close proximity to the upper part of said picker roll, a conveyor belt beneath said screen drum and inclose proximity thereto to receive material which has been collected'by said screen and dropped therefrom, and a swinging baffle board pivoted adjacent the forward end of said conveyor belt, said feed rolls. said picker roll and said screen drum extending substantially across said housing, the construction and arrangement `of parts being such that the air current produced by the picker roll is definitely guided to directly Ypass through the portion of the' cylindrical screen extending between the4 'bale and the conveyor belt.

7. In a la'p forming blowing machine, the combination of a pair of feed rolls arranged, one over the other, means to feed a predetermined amount of textile material to the feed rolls, a picker roll adjacent the feed rolls, a cylindrical screen drum, an upper baille having a portion curved over the upper part of the picker roll and extending substantially from the upper feed roll to said cylindrical screen drum, drive means to cause the portion of the picker roll adjacent the feed .rolls to have a downward rotative movement and and variable speed mechanism to control and vary the speed of the screen drum and of the conveyor belt'I for the last unit in thevsaid machine.

10. In a lap forming blowing machine comprising a housing, a plurality of units within said a housing. each consisting of a pair of feed rolls one above the other, a picker roll adjacent said feed rolls, a rotatable cylindrical screen drum adjacent the picker roll, an upper baille over the upper part of the picker roll and extending substantially from the upper feed roll to the cylindrical screen drum, a conveyor belt adjacent the under portion of said screen drum,` and means to control vand direct the air current from said picker roll to cause the same to be driven through the portion of the-screen drum adjacent the said picker roll to drive against said screen drum material carried by the 'air current produced by the picker roll; an adjustable baiile board'beneath said picker roll, and variable speed mechanism to control and vary the speed of the conveyor belt for the last unit in the said machine.

1l. Ina lap forming blowing machine, the combination of a housing; operating units carried by said housing; each comprising feed means, a, picker roll adjacent said feeding means, said picker roll being adapted to produce an air current to carry material picked by said picker roll, a screen drum in the direct path of said air current, baille means to control and direct the air current produced by the picker roll to pass ing from the upper portion of said housing to the lower portion thereof whereby air currents produced by the picker roll of each unit may flow from the upper portion of the housing to the lower. portion thereof. I

l2. In a lap forming blowing machine, the combination of a housing; Voperating umts carried by said housing; each unit comprising feeding means, a picker roll adjacent said feeding means, said picker roll being adapted to produce an air current to carry material picked by said picker roll, a rotatable screen drum in the direct path of the air current. baille means to control and direct the air current produced by the picker roll to pass the'same through the` lower portion .of the screen drum, means to receive material dropping from said-screen drum and to beltextending beneath said screen drum, means convey the sametov the next operating unit; an

air current conduit leading'from the upper portion of said housing to the lower portion thereof whereby air currents produced by the picker roll of each unit may flow from the upper portion of the housing to the lower portion thereof, and control dampers in said conduit'.

13. In a lap forming blowing machine, a pluralit'y of units; each comprising an enclosed chamber, feedrolls in the forward partitionwall of each chamber, apicker roll adjacent said feed rolls, a rotatable screen drum mounted adjacent to and slightly above said picker roll, a conveyor 30 'into the lower portion of the screen drum.'

to regulate and direct the air current produced by said picker rollV to cause the same to pass through the lower portion of said screen drum; a suction-blower. conduit means connecting the suction side of said suction-blower with the upper portions of the chambers, conduit means connecting the blower side of said suction-blower with the lower` portions of the chambers, outlets leading from both of said conduit means,and damper means for `controlling the air currents in said conduit means and relative to the chambers of the said umts.

14. In a lap forming blowing machine, a plurality of units; each comprising an enclosed chamber, superimposed feed rolls in the forward partition of each chamber, a picker roll adjacent said feed rolls, a rotatable screen drum mounted adjacent and slightly above said picker roll, a re-i ceiving member beneath said screen drumto rethe lower portion of said screen drum, and means to direct the ai-r current from the upper portion of said enclosed chamber above the screen ldrum said chamber below LoUIs P. imma. 

